Combined skid and caster supporting means for mobile household appliances

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION RELATES TO A MOVEABLE HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE, SUCH AS A SUCTION CLEANER, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CASING OF WHICH AT ITS BOTTOM HAS AN EXTERIOR SURFACE SERVING AS A SKID WHEN THE APPLIANCE IS MOVED OVER A SUPPORTING SURFACE LIKE A DEEP PILE RUG, FOR EXAMPLE. A CASTER IS EMPLOYED TO PROMOTE MOVEMENT OF THE APPLIANCE OVER A SUPPORTING SURFACE LIKE A SHORT PILE RUG OR FLOOR, FOR EXAMPLE. THE CASTER HAS A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED MEMBER AND A WHEEL MOUNTED THEREON FOR ROTATION ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS. THE MEMBER IN TURN IS JOURNALED IN THE SKID FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE HORIZONTAL AXIS. SUCH JOURNALING IS EFFECTED BY AN ANNULAR BEARING HAVING COOPERATING RACES AND ANTIFRICTION ELEMENTS, SUCH AS BALL BEARING, THEREBETWEEN. THE SKID   AND ROTATABLE MEMBER HAVE A RING-SHAPED GAP THEREBETWEEN WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE BEARING AND OPEN AT THE BOTTOM. IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE BEARING FROM DUST AND DIRT RING-SHAPED PACKING IS CARRIED BY THE ROTATABLE MEMBER. THE PACKING IS DISPOSED IN THE GAP FOR SEALING THE COOPERATING RACES AND ANTIFRICTION BEARING ELEMENTS THEREBETWEEN.

Oct. 26, 1971 K. G. GRELLSSON 3,614,804

COMBINED SKID AND CASTER SUPPORTING MEANS FOR MOBILE HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES Filed Sept. 11, 1968 2 2 i. 25 20 ['26 -JL M W? 1 14 4 I79 1M 1%, /2 Q 2 m. m A /& /7 2475 I24 236 2 V f /2d (1- --C INVI IN'I'OK W flaw/M,

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ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a movable household appliance, such as a suction cleaner, for example, the casing of which at its bottom has an exterior surface serving as a skid when the appliance is moved over a supporting surface like a deep pile rug, for example. A caster is employed to promote movement of the appliance over a supporting surface like a short pile rug or floor, for example. The caster has a horizontally disposed member and a wheel mounted thereon for rotation about a horizontal axis. The member in turn is journaled in the skid for rotation about a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis. Such journaling is effected by an annular bearing having cooperating races and antifriction elements, such as ball bearings, therebetween. The skid and rotatable member have a ring-shaped gap therebetween which is adjacent to the bearing and open at the bottom. In order to protect the bearing from dust and dirt ring-shaped packing is carried by the rotatable member. The packing is disposed in the gap for sealing the cooperating races and antifriction bearing elements therebetween.

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention (2.) Description of the prior art Casters provided heretofore for household appliances are of such construction that their overall height beneath the appliances is unduly great, so that a low vertical clearance between the underside of an appliance and the supporting surface cannot be realized. Further, the load on casters of the type heretofore provided. which essentially is a shearing stress developed by a braking momentum, is concentrated and localized at the zone or region at which the caster is attached to the underside of the appliance. With this arrangement the caster is subjected to undue wear and the normal trouble-free life of the caster often is shortened, which is objectionable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a combined skid and caster supporting means for mobile household appliances like suction cleaners, for example.

Patented Oct. 26, 1971 A skid support for a household appliance like a suction cleaner, for example, is especially desirable when the appliance is moved over a supporting surface like a deep pile rug, for example. On the other hand, a caster supporting means promotes movement of the appliance when the latter is moved over a supporting surface like a short pile rug or floor, for example.

In accordance with the invention, the underside of a movable appliance is provided with an exterior surface which serves as a skid and the wheel of the caster is mounted on a member for rotation about a horizontal axis, such member in turn being mounted in the skid for rotation about a vertical axis.

With this arrangement the clearance between the supporting surface and the underside of an appliance is at a minimum and no part of the caster supporting means is disposed above the wheel of the caster. No undesirable shearing stress is developed by a. braking momentum between the caster and the region at which it is journaled in the skid at the underside of the appliance. This construction permits the appliance to be moved smoothly on a supporting surface and increases the normal trouble-free life of the caster. Further, the caster journaling means in the skid is shielded whereby dust and dirt cannot accumulate in the journaling means and trouble-free operation is insured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the bottom part of a suction cleaner having a combined skid and caster supporting means embodying the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a horizontal view, partly broken away and in section, taken at line 22 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, the invention is shown embodied in a horizontal tank-type suction cleaner comprising a casing 10 through which air is circulated in a path of flow in a Well-known manner from an inlet to an outlet by a motor-fan unit and dust and dirt is removed from the air by a dust collecting member disposed in the path of flow. The casing 10 includes spaced vertical side walls 11, only the bottom parts of which are shown in FIG. 1.

A member 12 of the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 bridges the gap between the side walls 11 and is formed with a vertically extending side 12:: having portions of its upper end 12b fixed to the bottom of the side walls 11. The member 12 is disposed at the bottom of the casing .11 and forms an exterior wall thereof. The member 12 serves as a slide plate or skid when the suction cleaner is moved over a supporting surface like a deep pile rug, for example, the bottom 12.0 of the side wall 12a bearing against the supporting surface over which the suction cleaner is moved.

In accordance with this invention, the skid 12 forms one component of supporting structure for the suction cleaner, the other component of which comprises a caster 14 which is combined with the skid 12 and is journaled in the latter. The caster 14 promotes movement of the suction cleaner over a supporting surface like a short pile rug or floor, for example.

A ring-shaped wall 12d extends vertically upward from the bottom 120 of the side wall 12a of the skid. The upper end of the wall 12d is formed with an inward extending flange 12a. The inner extremity of the flange 12c forms an opening 15 in a horizontal plane from which a cavity 16, which is formed at the bottom of the suction cleaner by the skid 12, extends 'vertically upward.

A horizontally disposed member 17 of circular form is journaled in the skid 12 at the opening 15 therein. The member 17 at its periphery is formed with a downward extending flange 17a having a curved external shoulder 17b opposite a curved internal shoulder 12 of the flange 12e. The curved shoulders 12 and 17b serve as cooperating races of a bearing having antifriction rollers 18 therebetween.

The member 17 is formed with pins 17c which extend upward from its top face through openings in a plate 19 having at its periphery a downward extending skirt 19a which overlies the outer surface of the ring-shaped wall 12d of the skid 12. The member 17 is held in position against the antifriction rollers 18 by lock washers 20 which are anchored to the pins 170 and fit tightly against the plate 19. It will now be understood that the circular member 17 is journaled in the skid 12 for rotation about a vertical axis which coincides with the axis of the member 17.

The member 17 is formed with parallel spaced walls 17d which extend vertically downward from the bottom face thereof and are apertured to receive the ends of a shaft 21 to which a wheel 22 of the caster 14 is fixed. In FIG. 2 it will be seen that the wheel 22 is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis at 21 which is eccentrically disposed with respect to the vertical axis about which the horizontal member 17 turns or rotates in the skid 12. The outer peripheral portion 22a of the wheel 22 has an outer surface of convex shape and desirably is formed of material having a high coeflicient of friction, such as hard rubber, for example.

The lower end of the flange 17a of the rotatable member 17 is notched at 17e to provide a wide gap between the flange 17a and ring-shaped wall 12d of the skid 12. The aforementioned gap receives ring-shaped packing 23 for effectively sealing the antifriction rollers 18 and cooperating races 12 and 17b therefor. The packing 23 desirably is formed of two parts 23a and 23b which are united to one another, as by a suitable adhesive, for example. The inner part 23a is formed of material having a relatively large specific volume, such as foamed plastic, for example. In this Way the part 23a of the packing may be effectively employed to compensate for manufacturing tolerances. The outer part 23b is formed of material having a lower specific volume than that from which the part 23a is formed and desirably is formed of material having a relatively low co-efficient of friction, such as machine felt, for example.

The packing '23 is covered by a ring-shaped element 24 which is carried by the circular member 17. The element 24 may be stamped from sheet metal and includes a portion 24a parallel to the horizontal axis at 21 about Which the wheel 22 rotates and an inturned portion 24b which is closely adjacent to the ring-shaped wall 12d of the skid 12. When the skid 12 bears against a supporting surface over which the suction cleaner is being moved, the portion 24a of the ring-shaped element 24 also serves as a skid and will bear against the supporting surface.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the member 17 is imperforate and includes a dome-shaped part 17 1 which overlies the wheel 22 and is spaced therefrom. The domeshaped part 17 forms a housing 17g for the top half of the wheel 22 and functions as a barrier or partition to prevent foreign matter, which may be carried by the wheel 22 from a supporting surface into the housing 17g, from passing into the cavity 16. In this way foreign matter cannot collect in the vicinity of the antifriction rollers 18 and cooperating races 127 and 17b therefor.

In view of the foregoing, it will now be understood that the wheel 22 of the caster 14 is journaled by the shaft 21 on the member 17 for rotation about a horizontal axis. The member 17, which is horizontal and of circular form, in turn is journaled by the antifriction rollers 18 in the skid 12 at the upright side wall 12d thereof. Hence, the caster 14 is not attached to the skid 12 at a localized region but along a circumferential zone of annular form which is completely disposed about the wheel 22. In this way the caster 14 will not be subjected to localized shearing stress at the region it is attached to the suction cleaner. Since the caster 14 is mounted in position in the skid 12, the skid functions to protect the caster from possible injury, especially when the suction cleaner is being moved over obstacles like door sills, for example.

In FIG. 1 it will be seen that the annular bearing formed by the antifriction rollers 18 and races 12 and 17b, at which region the member 17 is journaled in the skid 12, is disposed in a horizontal plane AA which is disposed between horizontal planes BB and CC respectively passing through the top and bottom of the wheel 22, whereby the top of the wheel will be above the horizontal plane AA at which the member 17 is journaled in the skid 12.

I claim:

1. In a movable household appliance, such as a suction cleaner, for example, a casing, said casing at the bottom thereof having an exterior surface serving as a skid when the appliance is moved over a supporting surface like a deep pile rug, for example, means including a caster to promote movement of the appliance over a supporting surface like a short pile rug or floor, for example, said caster including a wheel, a member, means for mounting said wheel on said member for rotation about a horizontal axis, means for journaling said member on said skid for rotation about a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis, said means, for journaling said member on said skid comprising an annular bearing having cooperating races and antifriction bearing elements therebetween, one of said races forming a part of said member which is disposed at the peripheral edge portion thereof and the other forming a part of said skid which is at an inward extending shoulder thereof, said skid and said member having a gap of annular form therebetween adjacent to said bearing at which said member rotates in said skid, said gap of annular form between said skid and said member extending downward from said bearing in which said member rotates in said skid, said gap being open at the bottom, and means including ring-shaped packing which is carried by said member and disposed in said gap for sealing said cooperating races and antifriction bearing elements therebetween.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said packing comprises inner and outer parts which are united to one another, said inner part comprising material having a relatively large specific volume, such as foamed plastic, for example, and said outer part having a relatively low coefficient of friction, such as machine felt, for example.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 including a ring which is carried by said member and overlies the outer part of said ring-shaped packing, said ring serving as a part of said skid when the appliance is moved over a supporting surface like a deep pile rug, for example.

4. In a movable household appliance, such as a suction cleaner, for example, a casing, said casing at the bottom thereof having an exterior surface serving as a skid when the appliance is moved over a supporting surface like a deep pile rug, for example, means including a caster to promote movement of the appliance over a supporting surface like a short pile rug or floor, for example, said caster including a wheel, a member, means for mounting said wheel on said member for rotation about a horizontal axis, and means for journaling said member in said skid for rotation about a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis, said means for journaling said member in said skid comprising an annular bearing having cooperating races and antifriction bearing elements therebetwecn, one of said races forming a part of said member and the other forming a part of said skid, structure including said skid for rotatably supporting said member in said skid, said member comprising a horizontal plate having a circular peripheral edge portion and said skid including a ring-shaped vertical wall, said one race forming a part of said circular peripheral edge portion of said member and said other race forming a part of the upper end of 10 said ring-shaped vertical wall, a horizontal plate, said structure for rotatably supporting said member including means for supporting said plate at the upper end of said ring-shaped vertical wall, said plate having openings therein, said member having pins extending upward from the top face thereof through the openings in said plate, and means for fixing to said plate the parts of said pins projecting through the openings therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,445,882 5/1969 Miano 1621 2,972,162 2/1961 Townsend 1626 2,779,965 2/1957 Schilberg 16-26 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner D. L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner 

